Longzang

Chapter 320: Watching the Sword
Five hundred iron cavalrymen rolled out of the battle line and charged toward the army more than ten miles away with unparalleled momentum.

The "public opinion" mentioned by the eunuch refers to the evaluation of the success or failure of this hunt. The King of Jin, the King of Cheng, and the King of Ying commented on the performance of each participating party, which constitutes the public opinion. Each party received points for the number of Liao people they hunted and whether they unearthed treasures from the treasury. The sum of these two scores determined the overall ranking of the hunt.

Wei Yuan was worried about how to get to the bottom of the rankings; the better, his reputation would be negative.

The troops flying the banner of the Yunxiang Military Governor in the distance consisted of fifty cavalry and four hundred and fifty infantrymen, all dressed in light armor, a standard setup for mountain guerrilla warfare.

The captain, a lieutenant, heard the sound of hooves, turned around, and saw a large cavalry charge approaching. His face turned deathly pale!
The autumn hunting grounds are mostly mountainous; who would bring in a heavily armored cavalry force for no reason? There are some places they can't even get through!
Furthermore, the Liao boars and sheep being hunted at most wear leather clothing and are only armed with iron swords and spears; they are unlikely to have powerful bows or crossbows. There is no need to use heavy armor to deal with them. Heavy armor would only restrict one's movement; in mountainous terrain, only lightly armored infantry can move freely.

The lieutenant thought for a moment, then looked in the direction the heavy cavalry was coming from, and a sudden thought struck him: "Wei Manzi's men! That's it, they're going to rob the treasure vault!"

The lieutenant made a decisive move, ordering the cavalry to break away from the main force and charge straight for the treasure vault. He then led the remaining infantry in a horizontal formation to block Wei Yuan. Knowing that his master had a conflict with Wei Yuan, the lieutenant naturally wouldn't let Wei Yuan obtain the treasure vault so easily.

Seeing that the opponents had formed a horizontal formation with only two rows in front and behind, Wei Yuan revealed a cold smile, then made a hand gesture. Xu Yi, standing beside him, exhaled and shouted from afar, "Dare to block the road of the military governor? Your crime deserves death! Quickly take off your armor and kneel on the left side of the road, and you may still be spared!"

Her voice was clear and melodious, and her cultivation was high, so it carried far and wide, and could be heard clearly for dozens of miles.

The lieutenant sneered inwardly and said loudly, "Anyone can walk freely in the hunting grounds, so what's this talk of blocking the way? Besides... you!"

Seeing the iron cavalry getting closer and closer without stopping, the deputy general finally changed color!

He instantly moved dozens of feet to the side, avoiding the iron cavalry head-on. Then he saw Cui Yu thrust his spear past the spot where he had just stood, and he immediately broke out in a cold sweat!
They're actually serious?!

Hundreds of heavily armored cavalrymen thundered through the lightly armored infantry's line of soldiers, like stones crushing eggs. Blood splattered everywhere; hundreds of infantrymen were knocked away by their horses, and many more were directly impaled by the cavalrymen's lances.

After the cavalry had swept through, only half of the infantry remained standing.

The lieutenant was both shocked and furious. This single attack had resulted in at least two or three hundred casualties in the team. How dare they actually do it?!
He suddenly felt the surroundings darken, and when he looked up, he saw a shadow rapidly expanding above him, carrying an irresistible pressure that made him tremble all over and unable to move for a moment!
With a loud bang, a large crater appeared in the ground, and in the center of the crater was a warrior statue. He sat cross-legged, with his sword lying across his knees, exuding an imposing aura.

Just by looking at the size of the pit, one can tell how powerful the statue must have been when it fell from the sky. At this moment, it is unknown whether the lieutenant beneath it is dead or alive.

The terrain nearby was flat, with mountains only a few miles away. The surviving infantrymen knew they couldn't possibly fight off heavy cavalry in such terrain, and the corpses scattered everywhere showed that the enemy was truly ruthless, killing without hesitation. They dared not resist any longer, all kneeling down and, as Wei Yuan had instructed, stripping off their armor and piling up in one place.

Cui Yu, Xu Yi, and seven or eight other Dao Foundation cultivators joined forces to hurle their armor and weapons into the air, then summoned a gust of wind that carried them dozens of miles away. Looking at the two hundred or so naked men, Wei Yuan finally felt relieved and ordered a retreat.

With only two hundred unarmed men, Lü Wenbai was destined for eighth place in this hunt. He couldn't challenge Wei Yuan's ninth position.

Upon returning to their position, Wei Yuan left a few dozen men to keep watch, while the rest of the knights returned to their tents—some to sleep, some to daydream. He himself went back to the central command tent and sat quietly, observing the swordplay.

A hundred miles away, in the main hall of the Prince of Jin's camp.

Looking at Wei Yuan's calm face as he observed the sword, Lü Wenbai felt an urge to punch him.

He abruptly rose from his seat and exclaimed, "Your Majesty! Wei Yuan's actions are outrageous; he has disrupted the hunt, and his crime deserves death!"

In the center of the main hall is a sand table model of the entire autumn hunting grounds. This object is actually a True Lord-level magic weapon, capable of displaying various scenes of the hunting grounds according to the wielder's will.

It is a replica of the famous Celestial Treasure Chessboard. After casting in one's fortune and setting up the board, the pieces fight each other to simulate the general situation of the world. Depending on the amount and type of fortune cast, one may have a certain degree of precognitive ability, and with good luck, one might even be able to glimpse a glimpse of heavenly secrets.

Since it's a chessboard, the pieces must be fair. Therefore, in battle formations, those below the Dharma Aspect level are limited, and even magical treasures with power exceeding the limit will be suppressed by the formation.

Everyone knew that the autumn hunt served two purposes: first, to test the military skills of the generals, and second, to perform a sacrificial ceremony to seek divine guidance. Therefore, naturally, no one dared to break the rules before the king and secretly send a Dharma Aspect cultivator to infiltrate and slaughter everyone. Even if there was a fight, it had to be fair.

Otherwise, it would be a small matter for the Prince of Jin to lose some prizes, but if he disrupts the annual sacrificial ceremony to Heaven and misses the divine secrets, beheading would be the least of his worries.

The Prince of Jin, seated at the head of the table, simply said upon hearing this, "Once the pieces are in the game, how they act is entirely up to them, and I cannot interfere. If Minister Lü has any objections, we can discuss them after the hunt."

Having participated in numerous hunts, Lü Wenbai naturally knew that it was impossible to deal with Wei Yuan halfway through. He was merely protesting his innocence and trying to establish his position of reason first.

Besides the Prince of Ying and the Prince of Cheng, the Crown Prince and the Prince of Wei were also present in the hall. A small, handsome boy, who was now trying to appear mature for his age, was also seated there, intently studying the sand table; this was none other than the Prince of Fu. Seated at the outermost edge was a burly man with a resolute face, his armor a greyish-white, clearly from the northern border army. This seat usually belonged to Yue Jinshan, but he had recently been punished and demoted, so someone else had taken his place.

Apart from the Prince of Wei and the Prince of Fu, the rest of them all possessed at least the cultivation level of the Dharma Aspect realm. The two military governors, Xu Tongshou and Lü Wenbai, were both great cultivators in the late Dharma Aspect stage.

Looking at Wei Yuan's feignedly serious face on the sand table, Lü Wenbai gritted his teeth in hatred. Wei Yuan was merely a mid-stage Dao Foundation cultivator, only slightly stronger than the Prince of Fu, who was not even eight years old. How could he be ranked alongside him?
With a thought, the Prince of Jin switched to another area. Wei Yuan remained hidden, observing his sword internally, his large face motionless for a long time, as there was really nothing to see.

Lu Wenbai's troops suffered a crushing defeat, which was not entirely unexpected. Infantry were already at a significant disadvantage against cavalry, and they hadn't anticipated that the enemy would actually make a move. Two layers of horizontal formations facing a heavy cavalry charge was practically suicidal, and their defeat was entirely justified.

The scene shifts, and suddenly a small group of Liao people appear. They are hiding behind a pile of rocks, peeking out slightly to look down into the valley below.

The Prince of Jin was startled, and the scene changed repeatedly. Each time it changed, a group of Liao people appeared, ranging from a dozen to over a hundred, all hiding behind the rocks.

There were actually more than a dozen groups of Liao people lying in ambush around this valley, probably numbering over a thousand!
A troop of brightly armored Western Jin soldiers appeared, marching swiftly in a long, single-file line into the valley, running along the flat valley floor. Once they crossed the valley, a treasure trove was less than thirty li away.

This unit, clad in red armor and adorned with yellow ornaments, was strikingly dressed and mounted on horseback, their large banner bearing a massive "福" (fortune) character.

Several pairs of eyes glanced at Prince Fu before quickly withdrawing. Prince Fu appeared calm, but in reality, the color was gradually fading from his lips, and his hands were gripping his sleeves tightly.

With a deafening roar, several large boulders tumbled down, splitting the group entering the valley into two sections and blocking the valley's exit. Countless Liao tribesmen appeared on the high ground on both sides, raising stones and hurling them down, causing heavy casualties among the soldiers and horses below.

Several officers under Prince Fu roared and charged to the sides, attempting to storm the high ground. However, several Liao people appeared, all of whom possessed mid-to-late stage Dao Foundation cultivation. They intervened, stopping the officers from reaching the high ground.

Seeing the heavy casualties among his men, the leading lieutenant general was greatly alarmed. He drew his sword, and its aura soared into the sky, rising dozens of feet high! This sword actually possessed the power of a late-stage Dharma Aspect realm cultivator!
Several pairs of eyes swept over Prince Fu without making a sound. Seeing his little face flushed with excitement and his biting his lower lip as he made a fierce gesture, they all shook their heads inwardly: He's just a spoiled child.

If Daoji hadn't been unable to use True Lord's magic treasures, his superiors might have actually bestowed upon him one or two True Lord's magic treasures later on.

The King of Wei's eyes held disdain; he practically had the word "cheating" written all over his face. The Crown Prince, however, remained expressionless, showing no emotion whatsoever.

In the autumn hunting grounds, the flash of the blade drew layers of suppression, until only a ten-zhang-long blade of light remained, its power reduced from the late stage of the Dharma Aspect realm to the early stage. Even so, the blade was still incredibly powerful; with a single sweep, more than ten Liao tribesmen were cut in two!
Among the Liao people, a seemingly ordinary man suddenly gained immense power, reaching the late-stage Perfection of the Dao Foundation realm, and stood before the deputy general. He wielded only a rusty iron spear, completely incapable of withstanding a blade. Yet, his spearmanship was exceptionally skillful, and he relentlessly entangled the deputy general.

After smashing the stones, the Liao people roared and charged into the valley.

The soldiers of the Prince of Fu, clad in bright armor, were all tall and imposing, with excellent appearances. Many of them were terrified and actually knelt down, begging for mercy. The Liao soldiers did not hesitate; with swift strokes, they easily beheaded them.

Prince Fu's face turned pale, and the tears that were already welling up finally fell uncontrollably.

Moments later, the lieutenant was struck by more than ten arrows and collapsed to his knees, dying instantly. The crossbow bolts were carried by his soldiers, but the Liao people had taken them and used them against him.

The Liao man wielding the iron spear was wounded in several places, but ignoring his injuries, he picked up the Dharma-level treasured sword, slashed open his own chest, and poured his blood over it. The sword flashed several times before finally ceasing to shine.

The Liao man swung his knife, unleashing a blood-red blade of light several meters long, and actually subdued the knife.

Although the power of his blood-red blade light had decreased, it still grazed the edge of the Dharma Form.

The people in the hall were somewhat incredulous. The Liao people, who were originally hunted like pigs and sheep, now possessed a Dharma Aspect level treasure sword.

The deputy general of Prince Fu was killed, and all five hundred soldiers were killed or wounded. The Liao people immediately stripped the corpses of their armor and put it on themselves. In the blink of an eye, half of the Liao people had changed into the uniforms of Prince Fu's troops, and several leaders had transformed into officers and soldiers in Prince Fu's army.

Several Liao leaders huddled together and discussed the matter briefly before dispatching a dozen or so cavalrymen to disperse in various locations, clearly to gather intelligence on the surrounding area. The main force of Liao people, disguised as prisoners, were escorted away from the valley by the Prince of Fu's army.

They had only gone less than three miles when an army appeared ahead and blocked their way; it was the Crown Prince's troops.

The general leading the army, seeing the hundreds of Liao prisoners being escorted, grinned greedily and rode over, saying, "Is this His Highness Prince Fu's army? Heh, just a hunting trip, how did you end up in such a mess? And why are you capturing these people? How about I help you share some of the burden..."

Before he could finish speaking, a blood-red blade flashed, and the lieutenant's head flew high into the air!

(End of this chapter)